Blueberry Pancakes
Among the nutrients that make fruit and vegetables so good for you, antioxidants are primary, and the antioxidant found in blueberries is rather special. Anthocyanins are one group of the many polyphenol antioxidants called flavonoids, and they give blueberries their blue/ purple hue. Anthocyanins are also found in blackcurrants, other berries, aubergines, dark cherries, red cabbage, purple sweet potatoes, and purple grapes.
Botanists cite that anthocyanins help protect plants against damage from excess sunlight, and they do a similar thing for our skin, protecting it against ageing caused by UV damage.
Anthocyanins have also been shown in studies to improve memory and brain function, not just in older adults, but also in children. They have cancer-protective properties, and improve cardiovascular health.
Blueberries and blackcurrants contain the highest levels of antioxidants among popular fruits, and the sharp-eyed among you may notice that I’ve added some blackcurrants to the syrup. These are from my garden because I find blackcurrants very difficult to buy in the shops – even frozen. So I grow my own and freeze them.
I don’t cook the fruit, that would destroy the nutrients.
Ingredients
35g Oatbran
Half a banana
1 Egg, large
50ml Milk, soy or dairy
Pinch, salt
1 Tablespoonful blueberries (optional, spoonful of blackcurrants)
1 Teaspoon honey
Rapeseed oil to fry
Instructions
Mash the half banana (I chop and freeze the other half for smoothies).
Add the egg and oatmeal and beat. Then add the milk.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and drop in a tablespoonful for each pancake.
Turn when golden and stack on a plate.
Mix the blueberries with the honey, a teaspoon of water, and pour over the pancakes.